How are you?
I hope you had a wonderful weekend—and if you’re in the US, a very happy Thanksgiving!

The past month has been a little tight, and I’m sorry I couldn’t send out my usual newsletter. But it’s good to be back, and I have something special to share.

Recently, I had the chance to speak to the District 41 Toastmasters community about building your contest muscle, and it was an incredible experience. I wanted to share a few key ideas from that session—insights that I hope will help you grow, speak, and show up with even more confidence.

1. Contest Is a System

When you enter a contest, you’re stepping into a system designed to grow you.
Winning is wonderful—and it’s a great motivator—but here’s the truth: even if you lose, you still win. Every attempt sharpens your craft, strengthens your skills, and stretches your potential. Over the years, the system shapes you into someone who can’t help but grow.

2. Mindset: Shift from Fear to Excitement

Almost everyone feels fear before giving a speech—even seasoned speakers. It’s not a flaw; it’s psychology. But here’s a simple mindset shift that works surprisingly well:

Move from “fear” to “excitement.”

Tell yourself you’re excited. Pick a reason—any reason:
• People have given their time to listen to you.
• You want to show your kids you’re brave.
• You’ll treat yourself to an ice cream afterward.

The point is to anchor yourself in excitement.
Fun fact: I used this exact technique before my recent keynote, and it made all the difference. Enthusiasm becomes energy—and the audience feels it.

3. Material: Make It Yours

Look at winning topics, yes—but then ask: What’s new here? What’s your unique angle?

One of my students once had a theme:
​“Face the fear and conquer it.”

When we dug deeper, we found a more meaningful nuance:
​“Face your fear. You can't conquer it, but it will propel your growth.”

That subtle shift took the speech all the way to the district finals.

Don’t choose topics because they sound cool.
Choose topics that become powerful because you are the one saying them.

Think about it:
If Obama says, “It’s not Black America or White America—it’s the United States of America,” it feels one way.
If Trump says the exact same words, it lands completely differently.

The message is shaped by the messenger. And that’s your superpower.

4. Muscle: Train Until It’s in Your Body

Once the draft is ready, it’s time to train the muscle. This part is so simple a six-year-old can do it—literally.

Last month, my son participated in his first poem recitation contest. All we focused on was repetition. We practiced with him every day. The poem became part of him. And when he stepped onto that school auditorium stage, he delivered beautifully.

Fun fact: he won!
Not-so-fun fact: the school still hasn’t released the video.

Yes, techniques like body language and voice modulation matter, but they only work after the words become part of your muscle memory. When they do, something magical happens—your presence changes, your voice changes, and your confidence multiplies.

That’s a lot for today, so I’ll pause here. In the next newsletter, I’ll share the six daily routines that can help you build and strengthen your contest muscle.

Thank you for reading, and have a great week ahead.

As always, thanks for being awesome!

Rama